Happily ever after? not likely
by tina titan
Summary: This is a story of Jania west, now twenty years old and trying to manage being a super hero and a normal life as a nurse (who knew right?) discover how she and her boyfriend, collin, met and what the future holds for them.


It's four a.m. and Collin can't sleep. he'd had a nightmare where… no it couldn't happen. he looks at his girlfriend. light streams through the window, that weird light that comes just before dawn. the soft gray light makes her skin glow. her hair looks like gold. with her beautiful green eyes closed she looks like any other 20 year old.

but she isn't. her name is Jania West, superhero. She's been fighting since, well, for as long as she can remember. many villains got uneasy at the mention of her name. she often said she didn't fight for justice, she just did what was right.

But that fighting had left it's mark on her. collin traces the scars along her arms. Jania smiles faintly but keeps her eyes closed. Collin smiles when he hears her breath change from the gentle in pause out to a consistant in out.

"Sorry," he apologizes, his voice hints at an accent," Did i wake you?"

"Not really," She opens those gorgeous eyes, rolling onto her side, she props her head up slightly," You don't have to stop."

Collin smiles and continues tracing the scars. she rests her head on the pillow again. starting at her wrist, his his fingers drag lightly across the faded blemishes. Jania closes her eyes, still smiling. they had been living together for about three months and dating for two and a half years. he'd been crushing on her since they were 17 when he moved from mexico city, after his parents death. strictly speaking, he's ¾ hispanic and ¼ black. (Dad had been mixed.) Collin had only spoke spanish, which for a long time he thought would be a problem. But when he arrived at the tower, this beautiful girl with hair the color of the midday sun stepped toward him and spoke in fluent spanish, welcoming him and introducing everyone.

It hadn't been love at first sight. she kept her distance from everyone, not physically but emotionally. it was her brother who told him she was dating some guy they had gone to school with. she never spoke about him or anything for that matter. but one day, about two weeks after he'd arrived, she came into the living room, wearing pajama pants and a loose t-shirt that read Beauty and the beast. her hair was pulled in a high ponytail. Everyone looked at her with concern as she made herself a cup of coffee.

"Oh crap! What did he do?" Sophie, Jania's best friend, asked Matt, her boyfriend and Jania's brother. the others got involved while they talked in tense hurried voices; collin went to find jania. He found her rather quickly because she was in the gym. the superheroes had a sweet set up. weights that went up to four tons, machines for all types of exercise, a track, and a tightrope. yep, you read that right. they had a freaking tight rope. Collin noticed the lean figure walking across it. Her arms were out, most likely for balance. She suddenly leaned backward, throwing herself into a backflip. Impossible most likely, but she was used to doing impossible things. she moved with impeccable grace and flexibility. Collin watched mesmerized as she flew through the air, that's the right word, flew. she cartwheeled, flipped and spun, while the rope swung dangerously under hand. He doesn't know if she noticed him or he made a noise but she messed up. he gasped as she started to fall, head first. either instinct, luck, or God's grace, her foot hit the rope. she twisted her body upward, grabbing the rope with a few fingers. she pulled herself up and sat on the rope, her knuckles white.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked in spanish. she doesn't seem angry. her voice was thick with tears, but there didn't seem to be any in her eyes. if it were anyone else, he would have hugged them. but this is Jania, since he had arrived he had seen her hug someone exactly one time.

"Just wanted to make sure you were ok."

she laughed bitterly," turns out the son-of-a-bitch i had been dating was cheating on me… i'm over the moon."

"please come down. we can talk."

"no"

"Jania," he pronounced her name like HAN-e-AH," Please. i haven't been here long enough to betray you or think about blackmail."

"That makes me feel soooooo much better," How is it possible for her to be so sarcastic!? she fell backwards, her hands still clenching the rope. as her body flew forward,she let go. it was a 17.37 foot drop. her legs curled up to her chest. she hit the ground at a roll and came up standing.

"Jania-"

"Not here," she told him," you might be above blackmail but the others aren't."

"Ok?" He'd been a bit confused on where they could talk on the small island where the titan's tower stood.

"Give me ten minutes," she disappeared. the past fades from his eyes as collin looks at 20 year old jania again. she smiles at him again. he loves her. he loves her so freaking much it hurts. he loves her smile, her laugh, her hair her eyes, her ideas, everything about her. Jania loves him, but is too proud to say it. he stops tracing her scars and rests his hand on her arm. her breathing is even again. he inhaled her scent, trying to memorize it. Books and coffee, like the coffee shop. the past washes over him, and he makes no effort to fight it.

he'd never liked coffee. the coffee in mexico had been watery and bitter. but jania loved this little coffee shop. he sat at a small table while she got the drinks. the shop, called morning madness, was small. there had been a few couches and tables. floor to ceiling windows let in so much light, the electric lights were almost never used.

"Here," Jania sets a mug in front of him. inside is a light brown liquid with small white pieces of fluff," Hot chocolate, marshmallows, and nutmeg."

he cautiously sipped the drink. the warm sweet mixture left a crisp aftertaste. he involuntarily shivered," oh. my. god. this is delicious!"

Jania laughed. she sipped her coffee. she loved coffee. it was one of those drinks that was simple and complicated, which , not to soun cliche, is a lot like her. Collin pushed his drink to the side.

"So what happened," he asked.

she sighed," i had gotten a text from him telling me to meet him the park. well, i thought that was weird, mostly we went to a crappy chinese restaurant. but i thought maybe he was going to put forth an effort. i show up and he's making out with this girl i hated in, like middle school. i'm standing there like an idiot while he sticks his tongue down another girl's throat.

"idiot," Collin murmured under his breath. who could cheat on a girl like jania, she nods in agreement.

:Major idiot," she said," anyway some old guy runs up and start thanking me. i guess i saved his life or something. anyway he makes a huge racket and ethan looks up at me. i was pissed. i told the old guy i needed to talk to ethan and he left. ethan said it wasn't what it looked like."oh so you weren't making out with a girl who wasn't your girlfriend. she started making some bull excuse about how i never showed him any affection and that if i had been less, what word did he use, oh 'prudish' he wouldn't have cheated."

"i ended it, and was happy to. but at the same time i feel." she paused to find the right word.

"Betrayed?" he asked.

"yeah betrayed." they stared into their drinks in silence.

"Jania," he tried to break the tension," just so you know i know what it's like to be cheated on."

"That's nice to know," she said with a soft smile. she had a nice smile. it wasn't the sarcastic smirk she always wore or the fakey-oh-that's- so-cool smile she wore around the little kids. it was in the simplest way a smile. her eyes didn't light up and it didn't go ear-to-ear. the corners of her dark lips curved up just a fraction of an inch. despite it's simplicity, it made her eyes softer, her face kinder, and her body more relaxed. and if it's possible it made her more beautiful.

"Tell me about Mexico," She said. his eyes lit up. he told her about his parents and the small house they lived in. he described the desert and how it's either unbearably cold or blistering hot. except for sunset when the temperature settled in the low 80's and it felt like heaven. he told her about his friends and cousins.

"i have to ask," she said when he paused for a breath," what's up with your name? Collin Oak?"

"Colin Maxwell Oak IV," He said," Mama almost killed Papa when he named me that, but i think she grew to love it. Since we're asking about names…"

"Why Jania?" She chuckled," it might have to do with the fact that i went back in time. Don't ask. Anyway i looked it up what my name means, something like 'a gift from God' or 'God is gracious'. it's not as bad as my middle name, Diana."

"Jania Diana," He laughed.

"Oh, shut up," But she was smiling," My mom's name is Artemis, like the greek goddess. Her 'roman counterpart' is Diana. Daddy thought it would be funny."

they talked for a little while longer. Jania was horrified when he told her he had never read Harry Potter.

"no, no, no!" She shook her head," this is unacceptable."

"I didn't have a lot of time to read."

"Well, lucky for you," She grinned," i have a copy on me."

she reached into the gym bag she always carried. it held her wallet, keys, bow and arrows, and emergency harry potter book. it's sort of like her purse. he held up the book and collin laughed. of all the books for her to have.

"Come on," she said, standing. in english, she called thanks to the barista, who waved cheerfully at her.

"why do you talk to me in spanish and everyone else in english?" It was unseasonably warm for february. but he didn't mind. the wind made his curly black hair dance and his black-and-gray t shirt flap in the wind. Jania looped her arm through his. he had seen girls do this a thousand times and realized he was in, gah what had luke called it, the friend zone. in a chirpy voice, she told him about her photographic memory and how she knew 153 (yes 153) languages and how to keep herself sharp she translated simple phrases, like good morning, periodically through the day. whenever she got the chance she spoke the languages. he asked what it was like having a photographic memory.

"I love it, personally, but at the same time i hate it," she said," that probably makes no sense. it's great for riddles or school or remembering how to fight bad guys, but there are some memories i would like to forget."

They walked toward the park. Jania told him about a few of the missions she had been on. he focused on her. the rest of the world seemed to disappear around them. her gold hair fell to her waist and her slight almond shaped eyes were green. the exact color seemed to change with her mood. the plain white shirt she wore, with a light black jacket, showed her lean body. considering the fact she ate like a horse she never seemed to gain a pound. her black jeans made her legs longer than they were.

"Over here," She lead him to an oak tree. it was a few hundred feet from a playground. She sat on the ground and pulled out Harry Potter. She smiled sadly at the playground,"when i was little i never fit in. my brother and i would come here after school and on the weekends. he would play with is friends and i would curl up here with a new book. when we got older, and i felt overwhelmed by life, this became my safe place."

their eyes meet for a second. collin felt a little color rise in his cheeks. Jania gave him a sideways smirk and began to read aloud in english. one chapter, two, three. she had a horrible british accent when she voiced characters, but her voice was smooth and easy to listen to. at chapter four she stopped and handed him the book.

"Wait, what?" He asked.

"I'm teaching you english, fool, and introducing you to fandoms," she said," two birds, same stone."

"I know english," he told her.

"you can read and listen in english, but you can't speak it,' she moved closer so their shoulders were touching," come on. i'll help."

the next hour, he spoke slowly, forming words that didn't sit well in his mouth. jania, while a vicious hot headed, impatient person in everyday life, was a good teacher. she helped him with words and let him slide when he used spanglish. they reached chapter six and she took the book. he hadn't noticed how long their shadows were. jania helped him up. his hands started to tingle from where her skin met his. they talked about music the whole way home.

"imagine dragons 'demons' is like my theme song," she exclaimed.

"I love imagine dragons! i'm partial to 'It's Time'."

"that's a good song. wait do you like snow patrol?"

"If i lay here," he half sang," if i just lay here, would you lay with me and-"

"Just forget the world." she sang off key.

that's how they started. everyday they would go to the park and read. they finished all of the harry potter books in a month. when jania got called away for a mission he would read ahead, whispering the words and underlining the ones he didn't understand. they moved to Percy Jackson and the Hunger Games. She read him Looking For Alaska and Paper Towns. Three months later, he kissed her. She was reading the Fault in Our Stars. the sun started going down and she stopped to watch. sunrise and sunset were her favorite times of day. sunrise meant the start of a new day, a new chapter in their lives. sunset was the end, everything was done for the day and it was not changing. the sky turned pink, then orange, then red. colln looked at her. her eyes met his. he leaned in and she turned her head.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"It's not you," she said gently," it's me. Everyone i love or get close to ends up dead, kidnapped, or betraying me. i'm like a fire with snowflakes. everything i touch burns."

He placed a hand on her cheek, turning her to face him," i am not afraid to burn."

He kissed her. she tensed for a moment. then melted. her lips were warm and chapped. she tasted like cherries and chocolate. his hand tangled in her hair. she pulled away first.

"wow,' she smiled,' resting her forehead against his," just-wow."

"Yeah,' he murmured," wow."

"You have no idea how long i have been waiting for you to do that."

he tucked her hair behind her ear," you have no idea how long i have been waiting to do that."

they gathered their stuff and walked toward the beach, hand in hand. she told him not to tell anyone. when he asked why, she said she didn't like announcing her personal life.

this statement proved ironic because less than a month later they were bickering in front of her team. Collin told jania that necromancers weren't more powerful if they were born on el dia de los muertos. now that he spoke english, the team watched with mild amusement. no one ever won an arguement with jania and they all have tried. collin told jania," the day of the dead does not have any part in a necromancers powers. i have had two cousins who were necromancers, both born during that time, and they couldn't talk to our grandmother."

Jania froze. her brother exchanged looks with the others. Did jania just lose?

"You son of a bitch," she grinned," you actually got me."

"HOLY CRAP!" Matt yelled.

"Dude, You are a freaking mexican god!" Luke, a skinny bird shapeshifter with purple hair, exclaimed.

"Bless you," Sophie laughed," bless you!"

"Ha, ha," Jania glared at her team," you're hilarious."

"What did i win?" collin asked with a grin.

"this," she moved forward. everyone-even collin- expected her to punch his lights out. their jaws dropped when when she kissed him. collin wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer.

"i need to win arguments more often," Collin chuckled. Jania laughed. she has an odd laugh. it's high and clear, but booming. like someone mixed a three year old's giggle, with a grown man's belly laugh. odd but it suited her.

"whoa, whoa, whoa," matt said, protective big brother coming out," When in hell did this happen?"

"A month ago," Jania said firmly," I fell for him like you fall asleep…"

"Slowly," Collin recited," then all at once."

''wait so we get to make fun of jania and her boyfriend," luke asked with a hopeful smile.

"sure, but remember, lukey boo," Jania smiles evilly," whatever hell you give me will be returned tenfold."

a loud buzzing takes collin to present day. sunlight streams through the window. he blinks sleep from his eyes. Jania isn't in the bed. he turns off the alarm and rubbing his eyes, he walks into the kitchen. Jania curses like a sailor as she attempts to make scrambled eggs," Back, foul beast."

"Jani," he chuckles," let me take over."

she gladly hands over the spatula. he kisses her cheek and cooks the eggs. she pops frozen waffles in the toaster. collin couldn't help but laugh.

"what?" jania asks.

"i still can't get over the fact you eat a bazillion calories a day, mi amor, but can't cook anything that isn't microwaveable."

she crosses her arms," i'm not perfect."

"i know," she isn't. she is a terrible cook and can't sing to save her life. her handwriting is worse than anyone's in the entire world. she has little-oh who is he kidding- she has no filter between her mind and her mouth. but he loves it. she hums off key while they make breakfast. Collin feels her arms wrap themselves around him from behind. her head rests on his back.

"Do you want to tell me what your nightmare was?" she asks. he sets the spatula and covers her hands with his.

"no, i'm still trying to understand it myself."

"you were tracing my scars…" he squeezes her hands.

"mi amor, i didn't-i don't- it's not like that," damn it's harder to think of a reason why.  
"it's ok," she moves so he can see her," i didn't mind. i'm just curious."

he kisses her for a moment. she smiles and says something about kissing the cook. the phone starts ringing. only two people called the landline. his work or her work. Jania answers. she works at the local children's hospital as a nurse. when her team found out she wanted to be a nurse, they nearly raised hell to heaven. she could be a doctor or a surgeon. but they didn't have as much contact with the patients. the kids loved her. she told them stories of her adventures and said their medicine is the exact kind superheros use. some parents hated her because she was a 'vigilante', but most loved her because when she came into the room, their children's faces lit up. collin worked for a book editors on third street. he was assistant editor in chief. he loved it. sometimes he would bring home some books and read them to Jania. they made a good amount of money, and lived in their apartment free because jania still fought crime. the city cut her a deal when she was 18.

"ok, elizabeth," Jania says into the phone," give Krissy a kiss from me." she hangs up the phone," I have to go in."

"What?" saturday is the only day neither one of them have work and jania doesn't have any hero duties. it was the only day they could sit around and have a movie marathon in their pajamas.

"Just a few hours. Elizabeth's daughter has the flu and she needs me to cover until two," she says. he can see the guilt in her eyes. he kisses the top of her head and tells her to get ready," you mean i can't go in this?"

he looks at her pajamas. . the sleep shorts stop just above mid thigh. one of his old flannel shirts is unbuttoned over a green tanktop. he smiles," i think the kids would prefer to see you in your scrubs."

she laughs and heads to the bathroom. once she's out of the room, he allows his shoulders to drop. You'll hurt her, a familiar harsh voice whispers in his head, Or i will. Collin is gifted, but more often than not his gift feels like a curse. if you've ever heard of of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, you can kind of guess his powers. You hurt her he growls to the voice and i will find a way to kill you.

"Babe?" Jania stands behind him, from the concern in her voice, she's been calling his name for a while. he grunts to signal he's fine. she probably doesn't doesn't believe him. her scrubs are red with yellow arrows. she braided her hair so it fell to her hips," i have to leave. i'll text you when i get off, ok?"

"Ok," he gives her a goodbye kiss. usually that's it. she would go her way and he would his. but he catches her hand and pulls her in for a longer, deeper, more passionate kiss.

"oh, uh, whoa," She says when he pulls away," What was that for?"

"I love you, Jania," He says," Te amo, te amo, te amo. I should have told you that years ago. I love you, mi amor."

"I love you, too," She's confused. she doesn't know that every morning he worries that was their last good bye kiss. every night he wonders if this is the last time he'll hold her in his arms. she didn't know how terrified he was knowing one day she would be gone, and he didn't know how terrified she was of how much it would hurt him when she died one day.

and neither of them knew how close that day was.


End file.
